“Now let’s play our little game of ball,” said Julian. “Come on, Tim — and if we get into any trouble, just growl and show your teeth, see?”

The three of them, with Timmy, went to the clear space of field that separated the magnificent caravan from the rest of the Camp. A man at a nearby stall called to them.

“Hey! You’ll get into trouble if you play there!” But they took no notice and he shrugged his shoulders and began to shout his wares.

They threw the ball to one another, and then Julian flung it so wildly that it ran right up to the wheels of the front caravan of the pair. In a trice Dick and Jo were after it. Jo leapt up on a wheel and looked in at the big window, while Dick ran to the small van that was attached behind the big one.

A quick glance assured Jo that the big caravan was empty. The interior was furnished in a most luxurious way and looked like a very fine bed-sitting room. She leapt down.

Dick peered into the window of the smaller van. At first he thought there was no one there — and then he saw a pair of very fierce, angry eyes looking at him — the eyes of a small, bent old woman with untidy hair. She looked rather like a witch, Dick thought. She was sitting sewing in a bunk, and, as he looked in, she shook her fist at him and called out something he couldn’t hear.

He jumped down and joined the others. “No one at all in the big van,” said Jo.

“Only a witch-like old woman in the other,” reported Dick, in deep disappointment. “Unless George is pushed under a bunk or squashed into a cupboard, she’s certainly not there!”

“Timmy doesn’t seem interested in the caravans at all, does he?” said Julian. “I’m sure if George really was in one of those caravans, he’d bark and try to get inside.”

“Yes — I think he would,” said Dick. “Hallo, there’s somebody coming out of the second van. It’s the old lady! She’s in a fine old temper!”

So she was! She came down the steps of the van, shouting and shaking her fist at them. “Tim — go and find, go and find — in that van!” said Julian, suddenly, as the old woman came towards them.

The three of them stood their ground as the old woman came right up. They couldn’t understand a word she said, partly because she had no teeth, and partly because she spoke a mixture of many languages. Anyway, it was quite obvious that she was ticking them off for daring to play near the two vans.

Timmy had understood what Julian had said, and had slipped inside the second van. He was there for half a minute, and then he barked. The boys jumped, and Dick made a move towards the van.